No need to say goodbye: A series of one shots
by thesecondgarde
Summary: People say that twins share a special connection, that they can sense each others pain, understand their sorrow and share their joy on a deeper level than anyone else. Follow the story of Joseph and Kiara before they joined the 9 on the journey to Earth. Tied to my other story, THE SECOND CHANCE. NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! thesecondgarde here!**

**So this is my series of one-shots based on the characters of Eight and Two from my other story, The Second Chance (If you haven't read it, look it up on my profile or follow this link: s/9976345/1/The-Second-Chance). The Title for this story and chapter headings come from the song "The Call", by Regina Spektor, and I think it perfectly fits their story. **

**So here is chapter 1... **

**DISCLAIMER : I don't own the Lorien Legacies, or "The Call"...**

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><p><em><strong><span>"It started out as a feeling…"<span>**_

**People say that twins share a special connection, that they can sense each others pain, understand their sorrow and share their joy on a deeper level than anyone else.**

Kiara was sure something was bothering Joseph.

She had sensed that something was off the second she had seen him for the first time that day, when she had walked into the kitchen for breakfast. Grandpa had looked up from his paper and smiled at her when she had wished them all a good morning, and Grandma had - as usual - commented on how she really ought to brush her hair.

But Joseph had barely looked up from his toast, giving her a fleeting smile before dropping his gaze and continuing to play with his food. She had frowned and glanced quickly at her grandparents, who had gone back to what they had been doing before.

Something was bothering Joseph, and Kiara was sure she was the only one who had noticed.

She stared at him as she took her place at the table and helped herself to some cereal. Grandma had finished at the stove and served up a tray of hot waffles, announcing that she had to go run some errands and would be back in half an hour, before grabbing her coat and heading out the door. Grandpa finished his coffee and lumbered out to the backyard to work on his new project, leaving the twins alone at the dining table.

"Joseph?", Kiara asked and her brother looked up from his food. Seeing that he wasn't going to say anything, she continued, "It's a beautiful day today. Do you want to go play tag with Rose and …. ?", she asked and he quickly shook his head before jumping down from the stool and leaving the room. She stared at his back as he left, shocked that he would turn down a chance to play his favorite game and realized that whatever it was, it was serious.

Something was seriously bothering Joseph, and Kiara wasn't sure what it was.

She thought back, trying to match his reactions to something she had seen before. This was definitely not anger, the last time he had been angry at her his face had turned red and he had ripped her new book to shreds. He wasn't bored, or he would have driven her mad trying to get her to play with him, and not turned down her offer. This was in no way a sleepy Joseph, or he wouldn't have even gotten out of bed and he wasn't exactly sad either. That led her to one conclusion.

He was worried about something, he was afraid. Now all she had to find out, was about what.

She left her cereal untouched and wandered through the house searching for her brother, finally finding him curled up in behind the sofa. "Joe?", she called out to which he responded, his voice shaking slightly, "Go away Kia, stop following me". Her face grew worried as she approached him, and he scooted away into a corner yelling at her to leave. "Go away! How many times do I have to tell you? Go away before it starts happening to you too!", he shouted and suddenly she was confused, "What happens?", she asked kneeling down next to him.

He looked up and their eyes met, his worry mirrored in hers as he replied softly, "Before you start breaking, like me". She looks down at his outstretched palm and sees a small white object lying in the centre of it. "It broke off today while I was brushing", he explains, pointing to a hole in his top row of teeth, his voice shaking. "It felt like it was getting loose all week, I was going to tell you but then today it just broke! Kiara what if my hand falls of tomorrow?", he exclaims, now nearly in tears and Kiara laughs. Joseph stares at her confused, did she not understand? He was breaking!

"Kia!", he shouts, now annoyed at her apparent lack of understanding and concern and she finally stops, catching her breath as she says, "Joseph you are not breaking!". "What?", he asks, now really confused, "But my tooth just broke!", he complains and she shushes him before continuing. "It didn't break, silly! It just fell out! Mommy told me about these things last week, after the same thing happened to Lira at school the other day!".

"My tooth just… fell out?", he asks, still confused and she shakes her head at him, amused before she continues, "Joe, people don't have the same set of teeth all throughout their lives. As we grow up, we outgrow this set and so they fall out to make place for a bigger set that grows in it's place! It's just like how you outgrew your old jeans and Grandma had to buy you a new pair? This is you outgrowing your old teeth and now you are going to get new ones!", she exclaims, proud that she can remember everything her mother had explained.

"So my hand isn't going to fall off too?", he asks, getting the idea but still wanting some confirmation and she shakes her head, now giggling. His face brightens at once, and he jumps up, holding out a hand to pull his sister up. "Well since that's the case, what are we still doing here when we could be playing tag?", he asks and she groans. Just when she wanted to get back to her book.

"What? It was your idea!", he protests, grinning slyly and she sighs and is about to follow him out to the backyard when they hear a familiar jingle coming up the drive. They quickly glance at each other before dashing to the kitchen to grab a few coins out of their piggy banks before running outside to the ice cream truck.

Because whatever you happen to be feeling, ice cream always makes everything better.

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><p><strong>Please review and tell me what you think! Suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome!<strong>

**So until next time**

**-thesecondgarde**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! I'm back!**

**Thank you, Tom and scone104 for reviewing my previous chapter!**

**Judging by the lack of reviewers I take that this story isn't nearly as interesting as my other one, and so I'm debating as to whether to continue it or not... **

**Here is chapter 2! And this time, you get to see the other Garde as well. This isn't very Two/Eight centric, but I still thought it would be fun to write.**

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><p><em><strong> "..which then grew into a hope….."<strong>_

**A single spark of hope can light up even the darkest of times.**

It had been nearly a year since the Phoenix project had been initiated, and planning for Pittacus' Evacuation Protocol was almost complete. It looked great on paper, however great a plan to save your planet from certain destruction can look, that is, but it would all go to waste if the children involved couldn't work together to bring back Lorien, in the event it was ever required. Selections had been done carefully, and a group of 5 boys and 4 girls was finalized.

The children's parents had been contacted, had been made aware of what their child was selected for, and their approval had been sought. None had disagreed, but then, none of them even believed that such a plan would ever be required. Lorien was flourishing in an era of peace and prosperity. The idea of a cataclysmic attack was unthinkable, unfathomable, but yet they agreed. The children in question, however, remained blissfully unaware of their destinies as the future elders of the planet, and went about life as usual.

They had met their respective Cepans, and had taken a liking to them instantly. The pairs met about twice a week, to talk or train, depending upon the age of the child and the requirement at the time, and all had been going well, that is, until a week ago.

The Elders believed it was time to see if the children could indeed get along, and the plan had evolved to introducing them to each other, one at a time.

The pairs had been selected randomly, usually a boy and girl, and they would be left to play together while the Cepans watched and judged their responses.

The results had been -to put it lightly- shockingly disappointing.

First up was a girl with long dark hair and big brown eyes, who introduced herself as Kara. She was shy and reserved, in great contrast to her playmate for the day. Leo was as far from reserved as one could possibly get. He had wild black hair and a - shall we put it this way - dynamic personality. Their session had been a disaster. Leo had run around, trying to pull Kara into a wrestling match and she had completely closed off, and instead had sat in the corner of the room and ignored him.

The Cepans had shaken their heads, but had decided to try another pair.

This time, the boy and girl involved knew each other, and their parents were best friends. The girl, Lira, had dark hair and grey eyes and was slightly older than Jonathan, who was about 4 years old. This time, the Cepans introduced a few toys into the room, and hoped that the results would change.

No such luck.

Upon entering the room, both the kids eyes fell immediately on a shiny red truck in the center of the room, and they began running towards it. John somehow managed to reach it first and grabbing it up off the floor, began to play. However Lira wasn't about to let it go and soon, both children had to be dragged out of the room as they cried in frustration and anger at each other.

With such depressing results, the Cepans didn't know how to continue.

In all the time they had spent discussing this, they had never considered the possibility that the children wouldn't be able to get along. They sat wondering what to do, when a young man named Sandor, who had accompanied Leo's Cepan, Daxin suggested bringing them all together at once. Initially his idea had been met with great opposition, but he argued that maybe when they all came together, they might be able to adjust better to each other, they agreed.

A date was set and the Cepans were informed, now all that was left to do was to assemble the Garde.

Kiara and Joseph climbed into the back of Reynolds' vehicle and Conrad strapped them in. "You'll like it, don't worry. It'll be a lot of fun playing with the others, I promise", he said to the twins as he finished locking the buckles in place.

"But we don't even know them!", Joseph whined and Kiara nodded, "They're strangers!", she complained and they looked pleadingly at their Cepans. "Then you guys get to make some new friends", Reynolds said as he put the vehicle in gear and pulled away from the house.

They reached the Lorien Defense Academy building fifteen minutes later and walked through the twisting halls until they reached a set of sliding doors. "The others are already inside", Reynolds said as he fixed Josephs collar, "and I want you two to be on your best behavior". "Remember to introduce yourselves and try to talk to the others, OK?", Conrad said as they began to walk towards the door.

"Have fun!", they added, almost as an afterthought, as the twins stepped inside the room and the doors shut behind them.

Kiara looked around to see seven pairs of eyes fixed on them. She squeezed Joseph's hand and he glanced at her quickly before looking back to the others. They stared for about a minute before going back to what they had been doing before.

A boy with messy black hair ran around the room, yelling at the top of his lungs as a tan skinned boy ran after him . A blonde haired boy and a girl with grey eyes were fighting , watched closely by another toddler. A girl with blonde hair was asleep in one corner, while another sat beside her and stared at the opposite wall through her big brown eyes.

Kiara looked helplessly at her brother and he shrugged as if to say, "Well I'm clueless, do something!". She thought for a moment and whispered something in his ear, and they both set off across the room towards a pile of foam bricks in the corner.

They sat down on the ground and began arranging them to form a large square, and soon the other kids crowded around to watch.

"What are you doing?", the blonde haired girl asked, having been awoken from her nap by the black haired boy yelling in her ear a few minutes ago. "We're building a fort", Joseph replied, "and we would really love some help".

He smiled at the girl with brown eyes, who stood at the back of the crowd and held out a hand. She smiled shyly back at him as she took it and sat down beside him to work. The blonde haired girl brought over some more bricks from the other side of the room and began to stack them.

Soon, all the kids were working away, some bringing bricks, others stacking them up high, until the fort was finished and they stepped back to admire their handiwork.

"It looks awesome!", the black haired boy yelled out and everyone nodded. He turned to Kiara and held out his hand, "I'm Leo", he said and she smiled. "Kiara", she replied and they shook hands. Soon all the Garde were introducing themselves, and all tensions had evaporated. They spent the next hour playing around their fort, and when it was time to leave, they begged to stay longer.

The Cepans watched through a one way glass at one end of the room. What they had tried to accomplish for a week took only a matter of hours when the Garde were together. They were getting along really well, and had even been able to work together to finish a simple task.

They smiled at one another, and were all thinking the same thing as they led their respective charges out of the LDA building.

"Today, it was a foam fort, and tomorrow, it could be our planet itself. But whatever the challenge, we now know, there is hope for our future yet."

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><p><strong>I suck at making up names... :P<strong>

**So tell me what you think! Should I continue with this story or not? What can I do to improve? Any prompts you want me to write?**

**Until next time**

-**thesecondgarde**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! I'm back. **

**Thank you scone104 for your review.**

**Here's chapter 3 (since I decided to finish this story now that I've already started it)**

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><p><em><strong>"...which then turned into a quiet thought…"<strong>_

The alarm clock rang at 5:30 in the morning and Kiara quickly jumped out of bed to switch it off. She listened for any signs of movement, and hearing none, proceeded to climb up the ladder of the bunk bed she shared with her brother.

As expected, he was still fast asleep.

She sighed, shaking her head as she shook his shoulder roughly, but he merely grunted and turned over, snoring slightly. Realizing that subtlety wasn't really going to be effective in this case, she found the end of his quilt and with one clean motion, pulled it right off his sleeping frame. Joseph woke up with a jolt as the warmth of the covers was suddenly replaced by the nightly chill.

He sat up, glaring at his sister and was about to open his mouth to give her a good telling off, when she shushed him, placing a finger on her lips. He glared at her and whisper yelled, "Did you have to wake me like that? Couldn't you just shake me awake like a normal person would?". "You think I didn't try? You were practically dead to the world! You should be thankful that I didn't resort to the cold water this time", she said, recalling the last time she had tried to wake him up early.

Needless to say, the results had been quite satisfying, at least on her end.

"Don't ever do that again", he says shuddering involuntarily at the thought of freezing water, "I can't guarantee I won't. Now come on, we only have about an hour left!".

The twins quickly climbed down from the top bunk and tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen. Kiara reached for the switch and turned on the light, leaving them momentarily blinded as their eyes adjusted. "I'll get the book, you get the other stuff", she commanded and he gave a quick nod before climbing onto the counter to reach the wall cupboards. She walked towards a bookshelf that lined the back wall and pulled out a shiny cookbook with a picture of a cake on the front. She flipped through the pages till she spotted the recipe she had selected the day before, and quickly read through it once.

It was a simple recipe for chocolate cake with vanilla icing, that according to the book would take 45 minutes to make, icing and all. She brought it over to the counter as Joseph pulled out a tin of cocoa powder. "Is that everything?", he asked her and she scanned the list of ingredients to see if anything was missing. "Yup", she said, popping the P and he jumped down from the counter.

"It says we have to measure out everything first", he said reading the instructions over her shoulder and pulled open a drawer to reveal a set of measuring cups. She smiled at him as she took the biggest one and began measuring the flour, while he busied himself with the other dry ingredients. She reached into the bag of flour and scooped out a cup-full. She poured it into a large mixing bowl and continued to add more until she had the required amount. She then turned to her brother and watched him as he finished measuring the sugar, his face scrunched up in concentration.

He turned to her as he poured the sugar into the bowl and let out a laugh at the sight of her. "What?", Kiara asked, confused and he pointed to her nightgown, which was almost completely white from the flour.

She frowned as she examined her clothing and turned to her brother, pouting as she whined, "Joe! It's not funny!". But that only made him laugh harder, pressing his hand over his mouth in a sad attempt at muffling the sound. She quickly reached into the bag and threw a handful of flour at him, getting some in his hair as well as on his clothes. He stopped laughing and looked down at his clothes before looking up to meet her now mocking gaze.

"Oh it's on!", he said as he reached for the flour but she quickly pushed it away. "As much as I would love to thulp you in a flour-fight, we really haven't got the time now", she said motioning to the clock which now read 6 AM. Joseph frowned but helped her as she mixed in the remaining ingredients.

Two shattered eggs and three spills of oil later, the batter was complete and Joseph grabbed the mixing spoon, licking it clean before saying, "Tastes great!". She pulled the spoon out of his hand, shaking her head at his goofy expression.

"Grab some of the sugar from the store room, we're gonna have to make some more icing sugar", she said as she threw the spoon into the sink and opened up the oven.

"It's not working", she said as she noticed that it was no warmer inside the oven, "Joe, the oven's broken". "What?", he asked from the other side of the kitchen and she motioned for him to take a look. "Have you turned it on?", he asked her and she almost hit herself.

"No wonder. I was supposed to switch it on while we made the batter so it would be hot enough when we finished", she said and Joseph shook his head.

"You know for a smart person, you're actually kinda dumb", he told her and she punched him in the shoulder.

"Whatever", she said feeling rather stupid for not realizing it earlier and Joseph went back to his icing sugar. As she waited for the oven to preheat, she readied the piping cone and found a stand for the cake once it was ready. Once the oven dinged to say it was hot enough, she put on her grandmother's oven mitts and slowly placed her baking dish inside.

"Joe?", she called out as she closed the oven and he grunted in response. She turned around to find the kitchen covered in a layer of icing sugar that had exploded out of the processor. "Joe you're supposed to switch it off before you take the lid off ", she said as her eyes fell on her brother who was covered from head to toe with the stuff.

"Yeah, kinda got that", he said sheepishly as he emptied the contents of the processor into another large bowl. Thankfully there was still enough left inside for icing, and she quickly mixed in all the ingredients, adding in a bit of yellow food coloring at the end. Just as they finished putting the icing in the cones, the oven timer dinged and they hurried to check on the cake. Kiara grabbed a butter knife and slid it in, and was thrilled when it came out clean.

"It's ready!", she trilled as she grabbed the oven mitts and carefully pulled the cake out. Once it had cooled down, they lifted it out and placed it on the stand. Together, they piped the words "Happy Birthday Grandma!", on the top in their best handwriting and then stepped back to admire their handiwork.

They looked at each other and smiled as a woman's voice called from upstairs, "Kia? Joseph? Are you awake?".

Their smiles turned to grins of excitement as they picked up the cake and slowly climbed up the stairs to their grandparent's room.

Grandma was sitting up in bed, squinting through the bright sunlight from the open window which her husband had just opened. They walked in and shouted, "Surprise!", holding up the cake as they sang Happy Birthday. Grandma's eyes widened at the sight of the cake and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She set the cake down on the side table and looked at her grandchildren, who were both covered in flour and icing sugar.

She laughed at their appearance and pulled them in for a hug. "When did you do this?", she asked as they pulled away. "This morning", Kiara said and Joseph added, "At 5:30!". She raised her eyebrows and ruffled his hair fondly. "I hope it tastes alright", Kiara said and Grandma smiled at her, "Honey, it's not about how it tastes, it's about the love you put into it. It's the thought that counts".

They smiled back at her as Grandpa walked into the room, cake knife in hand.

"Now I don't know about you folks, but I really can't wait to try some of that delicious looking cake", he said with a bright smile and the twins laughed as they moved over to make some room. Grandma cut into the cake and tasted a slice, and her eyebrows went up again.

To her surprise, it was actually really good job for two seven year olds who had only ever watched the baking process, and never tried anything on their own. "It's really delicious!", she exclaimed and the twins smiles grew even bigger.

They all ate a slice of cake each before Grandma said it was time to go get some real breakfast. She quickly washed up and went downstairs to her kitchen, thinking about what a wonderful surprise it had been, when the sight before her stopped her short.

The kitchen was a disaster.

She shook her head and called out for her grandchildren, who ran down the stairs and looked at her questioningly. She motioned to the messy kitchen and they both looked ashamed.

"We did think about cleaning up..", Joseph began to say, and they looked up at her, trying to look as innocent as possible as Kiara asked, "It is the thought that counts, right?".

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><p><strong>So I hoped you liked it!<strong>

**Until next time**

**-thesecondgarde**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back!**

**So thank you scone104 for your review, again.**

**This is chapter 4, and it's REALLY short.**

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><p><em><strong>"..which then turned into a quiet word…"<strong>_

_****_Joseph could never understand his sister's fascination with books. She spent hours in the library, pouring over them, and almost always brought a few more home with her to read before bed.

To him, books were boring. They were filled with pictures, yes, but they didn't move like those on TV. And books most certainly didn't play tag with you, making them effectively useless to him.

All the same, one Sunday morning he decided he was going to figure out what exactly was so great about these books, and decided to spend the day with his sister in the library.

Kiara was surprised when Joe asked to come with her to the library that morning, but agreed anyway, curious to understand her brother's sudden request. The library was only a few blocks away, and she usually biked there, But today she decided to walk instead, and ten minutes later, they stood at the front steps.

The library was a giant building, made of white marble and looked strange and a bit scary to Joseph, who had never seen anything like it before.

"Now remember, no talking loudly, shouting or running around once we're inside, OK?", Kiara said to him as they walked through the front doors. "Yeah, I get it", he replied and she looked at him sternly until he flinched. "Good, now come on, I'll show you where all the good books are", she said, leading him to the back of the building. On the way, she waved politely to the librarians and assistants, whom she had come to know rather well from her weekly visits.

"Well if it isn't little Kiara, and who is this?", an elderly librarian asked her as she passed by. "This is my brother Joe, Mrs. Williams", she said, indicating Joseph, who waved, "I'm showing him around today". "That's wonderful! Oh and by the way, the new series you wanted to read is in today", she said and Kiara's face lit up.

"Oh my god, really?", she asked and set off running down the halls, pulling Joseph behind her.

"What happened to "no running"?", he asked when she stopped in front of a large shelf and pulled out a book from it.

"Whatever Joe, look at this!", she said, holding up the book and Joe stared at it, trying to understand what exactly she was so thrilled about.

"It's a book", he said flatly and she sighed, exasperatedly. "Yes, but it's probably one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read! Come on, I'll read it to you!", she said excitedly as she pulled him over to a stack of beanbags in the corner.

Joseph plopped down on a beanbag and made himself comfortable as Kia arranged the book on her lap. She opened it up and began to read, and soon he found himself drifting off. The library may be boring, but he had to admit, their beanbags were sure comfy, and a great place to take a nap.

Kiara read out the story, and at some point switched to reading it silently to herself, murmuring the words as her eyes passed over them. She was so engrossed in the story that she didn't look up until she had finished it, and only then noticed her brother's sleeping form on the beanbag next to her.

She sighed and considered waking him, but then thought the better of it.

He was sleeping peacefully and she would get to read the sequel to her amazing book without interruption.

It was a win-win situation, she thought as she walked back to the bookshelf. Her eyes scanned the shelves for the book she wanted, but instead landed on a different one.

"1984, by George Orwell", she read as she pulled it out, "It couldn't hurt to try".

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><p><strong>Hope you liked it.<strong>

**I will not be updating this story anymore, so I hope you enjoyed these chapters! Please check out my main story and the source of inspiration for this series, The Second Chance.**

**So goodbye!**

**-thesecondgarde**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone...**

**Yes I know I decided to stop updating but I'm really obsessive when it comes to leaving things half-fininshed, so here's chapter 5...**

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><p><em><strong>"...and then that word grew louder and louder, until it was a battle cry..."<strong>_

Kiara pulled the covers over her head and cringed as another blast echoed from above, her new wristband glowing in the semi darkness of her room. She had stayed up to watch the fireworks, but had never expected them to be so loud, and now she was scared. "Joe?", she called out, hoping her brother was awake, and sighed in relief when she heard him reply, "Yeah?".

"I don't think fireworks are supposed to be this loud", she said and he jumped down from the top bunk. "You're afraid! You fraidy cat!", Joseph teased and her eyes filled with tears. "Stop it!", she sniffed and his amusement turned to worry. She never cried when he teased her. "It's ok", he said gently going to sit by her, "I'm sure it will end soon", he told her and she nodded slowly but jumped when the next one went off. She was wide eyed with worry Joseph considered waking his grandparents, that is, assuming that they were asleep. Usually the grown ups got to stay up late on Quartermoon, something he had envied for years.

"Wait here", he told her as he got up to find them, "I'm going to go get Grandma". "No wait! I'm coming with you!", she cried as she grabbed his hand, terrified at the thought of being alone. The two of them tiptoed to their grandparent's room, only to find it empty. "They must be downstairs", Joseph told her and they slowly made their way down the stairs, careful not to trip in the low lighting, and barely made it all the way down before they found their Grandma on the first floor landing, staring out the large window into the city.

Another firework, and Kiara let out a small squeak, alerting her of their presence. She turned to face her two grandchildren, both wide eyed with fear and confusion, and bit her lip to stop the tears from falling. In the one and a half centuries she had lived, never had there been any indication that this day would actually come. Lorien was a peaceful planet, and up until a few hours ago the Phoenix project had been just some words on paper, a plan for a worst case scenario no one could ever see happening.

But now things had changed.

The two young Garde in front of her had no idea how much was expected of them, and how vital their survival was for their planet and their race. "I'm scared", Kiara said and she pulled them both into her arms. I am too, she thought as she pulled away and looked them both in the eye. Time was short, and they would be here in a few .minutes to take them away. "Kia, Joe, I know what's happening right now is scary, but you need to be brave, OK?", she asked the two seven year olds in front of her and they nodded back at her, looking apprehensive. "Now I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to tell you", she said they stared back, hanging on to her every word. "Some bad people are outside right now", she said, knowing that the concept an invasion wouldn't sit well with them, "and they are going to try to hurt you".

Again, hurt sounds a lot better than hunt you down and kill you.

The twins gasped and gripped each other's hands tightly, getting more afraid by the second. "But Conrad and Reynolds will be here soon, as well as your parents, and they're going to take you away so the bad people can't get you. I want you to-", she started but Kiara asked, "What about you and grandpa?". She swallowed but the lump in her throat refused to reduce as she answered her, "We'll be fine, and we'll see you again one day", she said sadly but Joseph wasn't convinced. "But the bad people!", he protested and sheet she put an arm against his cheek, "We'll be fine", she repeated, praying that it was the truth. Just then she heard someone call her from downstairs and she rushed down, taking the twins with her, where she found her daughter, son in law and husband waiting.

Kiara and Joseph ran forward and hugged their parents, who immediately picked them up. "We need to get moving, Conrad and Reynolds got held up and will meet us later", their father, Marc said and Rhea, their mother nodded in agreement. Nothing more was said, as nothing more was needed. It was clear to all four adults that they might never see each other again, but it would be unwise to discuss it in front of the children. "Where are we going?", Joseph asked as his father carried him out of the house, "You'll see", he replied as he began to run towards the city. Kiara held on tight to her mother as she ran, fighting against the crowds, and took in the scene around her. The streets were filled with people, all with panicked expressions on their faces. As they passed by, she saw some people being hauled out of damaged buildings, and when they were set down, they didn't get up or move.

They're dead, the realization hit her like a ton on bricks and she started to sob.

And then she saw it, huge, covered with scales and approaching them very quickly. A beast. She screamed and her mother whipped around to face the massive monster behind them.

"Marc!", she called out to her husband, who turned around instantly, his eyes widening at the sight before him. "Take Joseph", he said to his wife and she shook her head, "No! Marc, it doesn't have to be like this!". "Rhea, take Joe", he repeated calmly, his eyes fixed on the beast behind him, and she obeyed taking both her children into her arms as her husband looked at them one last time.

"Be brave", he told them and sensing something was terribly wrong, they started to cry. "I love you two, and one day, you're going to make us all very proud", he said and kissed them both on the head before turning back to the approaching beast. "Daddy no!", Kiara cried out while Joseph struggled to free himself from his mother's grasp. "Rhea, go now", Marc said and she nodded, holding back tears as she kissed him one last time before fleeing.

As her mother ran from the scene, Kiara watched as her father charged at the monster with a loud yell, "For Lorien!". She saw him run forward and shoot a blast of blue light from his hands before the crowd closed up and she could see him no more. She sobbed, but knew that no one would hear her over the noise.

Blinded by tears and shaking, she reached for her brother's hand and when she found it, she held on tight. He was just as afraid as she was, and when she looked into his eyes, she was sure he had reached the same conclusion as she had.

They would never see their father again, but the cry for their planet would never leave them, and would be their last memory of their fallen hero.

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><p><strong>So this is the second last chapter of this fic, and part 1 of 2 of the day of the invasion...<strong>

**Please review! It means a lot!**

**Until next time**

**-thesecondgarde**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back... **

**So this is the last chapter! This story's been a bit of a mess, but I'm glad I get to finish it.**

**Thank you everyone who has supported me through it, namely scone104, charasweet, TomFieldings and IWishICouldBeNumberFive, for your time and thoughts on this story...**

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><p><span><em>...I'll come back, when you call me, no need to say goodbye..."<em>

Joseph held his sister's hand tightly as their mother ran through the crowds. Kiara was crying, and everytime he tried to wipe away his own tears, one look at her would set him off again.

Rhea forbid herself from crying in front of her children. She could sense their mounting fear, and she knew had to be strong for them, even if it was difficult. She was finding it harder and harder to fight the hoards of people flowing out of the buildings that lines the street, and decided it was time to take a risk.

Teleportation wasn't a perfect science, and she wasn't sure what she would teleport the into, but right now, she was desperate. She stepped into an alleyway and set her children down on their feet. "Joseph, Kiara, I'm going to teleport us there, ok? Like how I did at your birthday party", she told them and they nodded, reaching for her hands.

Kiara remembered the feeling of the floor falling out under her and the twist in her gut that went with teleporting, and this time was no different. She closed her eyes an ground her teeth in an effort to reduce the aftereffects, but to no avail. When they appeared outside the LDA building, she had to take a second to stop her head from spinning while her mother looked at the scene around them.

The LDA building was almost completely destroyed with fires burning in the few structures that had managed to remain standing. It appeared as if the Mogs had targeted the more populated areas in an attempt to spread the panic, and judging by the crowds of fleeing people in the street, it was working. But here and there a few stood firm against the frightened masses and fought the beasts and soldiers from the ships above, but they were grossly outnumbered and overwhelmed before they could react.

Rhea scanned the horizon for any sign of the Cepans, and began to wonder if they'd managed to get out of the building in time. She glanced down at her kids and confirmed that they had their wristbands on, so she knew they wouldn't have a problem finding them in case they did get out. Watching the battle playing out before her, she knew they could not afford to wait any longer. Conrad and Reynolds would have to come to the airstrip. After deciding on which route to take, she bent down and took her children back up into her arms.

She turned towards the crowds and was about to set off when she heard someone calling out to her. She whipped around to see the two Cepans running towards her and started towards them. "Where were you?", she asked them and Reynolds replied, "The LDA was attacked... something happened to the grid and we needed to get some tech out before we lost all defense capabilities". She nodded her head and motioned for them to take their respective Garde.

Kiara had been silently replaying everything that had happened so far in her mind, and hadn't even realised her Cepan was standing next to her, until he tried to pull her out of her mother's arms. She let out a scream of pure panic and gripped her mother tightly, the situation reminding her vividly of what had happened with her father. She heard a similar shout and saw Joe fighting to hold on as well, tears streaming down his face. "No! Don't go mommy, please!", he cried and she began to sob.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to follow you guys, ok? Now let Conrad and Reynolds carry you so we can get out of here", their mother replied and Joe reluctantly let go. Conrad managed to pry Kiara away and once both Garde were with their respective Cepans, they set off. Between the three of them they managed to reach the airfield without too much trouble or injury. Rhea saw the ship, fueled up and ready to go and the line of young Garde and Cepans waiting before it. It wasn't her place to go further, and she found herself in the position of having to say goodbye to her children, even though she was far from ready.

Conrad and Reynolds turned around to face her at the gate, their faces reflecting the apologies that weren't theirs to make. They didn't dare set the children down, in the event that they would run to their mother and result in thIs taking longer than they could afford.

Kiara and Joseph, who had been watching their mother from over their Cepans' shoulders now turned in their arms to face her. While Rhea had told herself she wasn't going to cry in front of them, the sight of their innocent faces brought tears to her eyes, and she did nothing to stop them from falling.

The twins had calmed down considerably since their father's departure, but now burst into tears seeing their mother upset. They knew she had to leave, and that by the looks of things, they had to as well, but loss, grief and separation isn't easy to handle at any point, and at the age of seven, surely not what they should be experiencing.

"I love you two, take care of each other and know that I'm always watching over you. We'll see each other again one day, I promise...", Rhea managed and gave each of her children a brief hug, wishing she could have spent more time with them, to watch them grow, but now that was impossible. They cried out as she turned to leave, and while every step forward broke her heart, she knew this was the only way she could make it hurt less, for them and for her.

Kiara was screaming, tears running down her face as she called after her mother, and Joseph began to struggle against Reynolds firm grip. The Cepans began to walk towards the ship, knowing that nothing they could say or do would change anything. The two young garde had faced more trauma in one night than most people did in a lifetime, and things were only going to get worse. A planet light years away would become their new home, they would be fighting for their lives and the future of their planet.

Seeing that there was no going back, Kiara closed her eyes and ears to block out the world around her. She imagined herself back at home, but never got far when she felt Conrad set her down. She opened her eyes and slowly lowered her hands as he knelt down in front of her and wiped away the last of her tears. She gave him one last hug before he led her to her place in line. She recognized the others from the day at the LDA, and felt her panic return as her brother was led away to the other end of the line. Before she could react, a tall man stepped forward and begin to chant some strange words, and she felt a sharp pain on her ankle. She looked down but saw nothing, and by the time she looked up again, he had finished and handed her a necklace with a swirling loralite charm. The other Cepans led their Garde into the ship, but Conrad and Reynolds stood where they were.

Once everyone else was inside, the man turned to the two remaining garde in front of him. The charm he was about to cast would change their lives forever, and so he felt obligated to explain briefly what was going to happen, even though he would make them forget it. Once he was done, the girl turned to her brother and hugged him, and the two promised to see each other again. They had started to cry again, but didn't protest when he told them to get ready.

Their acceptance of their fate, their pain and their challenge ahead played heavily on his mind as he began the second incantation. He cast the charm and changed their memories, going one step further to erase the happenings of the past few hours and providing them with false ones of different, but happy lives. He was sure that by the end of this, they wouldn't even recognise each other and sure enough, when he finished, neither one showed the other any sign of familiarity.

Conrad and Reynolds then proceeded to walk their Garde to the ship with heavy hearts. The two laughing children they had met now didn't know each other, and would be thrown into a world of danger, lies and secrets. They watched the door to the ship close and turned around, only to find a sight so beautiful and painful all at once.

The boy took a few steps forward and extended his hand to the shy girl in front of him. "I'm Joseph, what's your name?", he asked with a grin as she regarded him warily before taking his hand and replying politely, "I'm Kiara, it's nice to meet you".

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><p><strong>And that's it! I hope you liked this story and enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. This chapter was a bit messy, and I'm sorry but there was so much to describe and I was getting emotional. <strong>

**And the story continues... be sure to check out my other fics, The Second Chance and Over and Out...**

**So for the last time... goodbye!**

**thesecondgarde**


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